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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28418073">3 Times Randy Ward Decided That V Was Alright, Actually</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Labradoodles_and_Muffins/pseuds/Labradoodles_and_Muffins'>Labradoodles_and_Muffins</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>when the bones are good (the rest don't matter) [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Cyberpunk 2077 (Video Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Allusions to past abusive relationship, Blood, Domestic arguments, F/M, Gen, Gunshot Wounds, Kinda hangs over the whole thing but not graphically, but not graphic, someone faints for a few seconds, traumatised youth nervously pokes signs of happy future</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 18:21:32</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,237</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28418073</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Labradoodles_and_Muffins/pseuds/Labradoodles_and_Muffins</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The first time he could really point to an easing in his distaste for her was also the first time he saw River and Ves fight.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Female V/River Ward, V/River Ward</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>when the bones are good (the rest don't matter) [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2081013</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>45</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>3 Times Randy Ward Decided That V Was Alright, Actually</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Am I drunk posting a first draft? YOU BET YOUR CHEEKS I AM</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Randy hadn’t been too impressed with Ves at first, sniffing around the family like she was gonna up and run off with Uncle River. He felt guilty about it sometimes, seeing as how she’d helped save him. His therapist said it was something about Ves ‘being another change during an already tumultuous time’. He didn’t really care what his therapist was being paid to say but… yeah maybe it was nice to hear someone say ‘things HAVE been pretty shitty for you.’ </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The first time he could really point to an easing in his distaste for her was also the first time he saw River and Ves fight. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Randy’s in Joss’ trailer, having just helped get the twins settled for the night. He’s booting up an old holo, part of their new family bonding routine while Joss is trying not to pace anxiously in front of the window. River &amp; Ves were out on a case, what River had called ‘just a quick meeting with a potential client.’ </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Even taking into account that they would have stopped for dinner somewhere if the meeting ran late… it’s weird they’re not back by now. It’s coming up on 9pm and he can understand his moms’ urge to pace. At the very least it’s not like River to not text Joss if there’s been a change of plan. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>When he’s finished queuing up the holo Randy gets up and puts a tentative hand on Joss’ arm. There’s a nervous awkwardness between them as they try to navigate the new balance in their relationship, and he feels too big for his skin sometimes, but they’re getting there. There’s the sound of a truck pulling into the yard and he smiles at Joss. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey they’re b-”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He’s cut off by the sound of someone slamming a car door angrily, then someone else slamming the other door. Joss meets his eyes and they move as one, posting up either side of the front window to peek out without being seen. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>River and Ves have met at the front of the truck at this point and are clearly arguing, angry hand gestures and jabs making it obvious, even though Randy can’t hear the words. Something bitter and twisting settles in his stomach and he can feel his hands ball into fists as he leans closer to the window. He knows how this ends, the same way it always did with Mom and the Asshole. If she takes a swing at River, even </span>
  <em>
    <span>looks</span>
  </em>
  <span> at him funny-</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s okay baby. We’ve got his back.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>A hand cups his cheek and Randy’s jerked out of his reverie by Joss’ touch. She smiles kindly at him and goes back to looking out the window. There’s something almost cold in her eyes as she watches Ves, the kind of thing that clearly states Joss won’t let anyone do to her brother what was done to her, no matter how helpful they’d been in the past.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Randy steadies his breathing and turns to watch the proceedings. He’s just in time to watch, in almost slow motion, as Ves throws her hands up and turns to walk away only to snag her foot on a discarded skipping rope. There’s a heartbeat of confusion plain on her face before it contorts into pain. She screams as she goes over, loud enough that Randy jumps, startled by the sudden noise. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Ves!” River catches her before she hits the ground, steadying her on her feet and taking her weight. Inside Randy &amp; Joss exchange worried looks as Ves doesn’t appear to be moving. River’s curled over her protectively, hiding her from view. Randy can feel his heart thumping anxiously - one, two three, four. River unfurls as Ves moves, clutching his sleeve but straightening up. She turns and the light from the trailer porch illuminates a spreading red stain on her shirt.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Fuck.” Randy takes a step back, not expecting </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span>. He looks over at Joss, not sure what the hell they’re supposed to do. Joss looks surprised but schools her face when she catches him looking. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s alright. I’m gonna go get some towels and warm water. I want you to keep watching and let me know if she looks like she needs immediate medical attention, okay?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Her voice is calm despite the circumstances and it helps stem the panic rising up his throat. He takes a long, deep breath and nods, not feeling quite as confident as he’s trying to look. Joss disappears further into the trailer and he turns back to the window.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>River is putting Ves’ shirt down and using an arm around her waist to support her and she’s smiling softly at him like he hung the moon. He presses his face into her hair before tipping his head towards the trailer. They move slowly but she doesn’t look too unsteady. Randy starts being able to pick up their voices the closer they get to the trailer, which is only slightly because he’s cracked the window a little wider. He’s curious, sue him.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“-not apologising for taking the shot, River, I </span>
  <em>
    <span>can’t</span>
  </em>
  <span>...can’t apologise for that. I- I’d take every bullet in this fucking city for you.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Ves</span>
  <em>
    <span>.</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I can’t watch you bleed out in my hands, I won’t.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Ves</span>
  </em>
  <span>.” River kisses her on the forehead. “I get it. But it’s the same for me, you know? Fuck V, I had to practically carry you into Viks’ place.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Ves goes quiet, leaning into River as they pause at the bottom of the trailer steps. Finally she sighs, her shoulders slumping as she looks up at him.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“There’s no easy answer to this one, huh?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Nope. Guess we’ll have to stick with the difficult answer.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Ves laughs and then winces, pressing her hand to her side. River’s immediately busy fussing with her shirt again until she clasps his hands and brings them to her chest.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“We’ll figure it out together. But maybe we should figure out whether I just ripped all my stitches or only some of them, first.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>They start moving towards the house again and Randy takes that as his cue to leave the window and pretend he’d been in the kitchen the whole time. He gives Joss the rundown as quick as he can - Ves took a bullet for River, pulled some of the stitches when she fell - and tries not to puff his chest out when Joss tells him she’s proud of him.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>As he waits for the kettle to heat, Randy leans on the counter and thinks about the unexpectedly stressful five minutes that just occured. He still can’t say he </span>
  <em>
    <span>trusts</span>
  </em>
  <span> Ves but there’s something about the idea of her </span>
  <em>
    <span>taking a fucking bullet</span>
  </em>
  <span> for River that leaves Randy sort of floundering. He had been so geared up to hate her, waiting for this </span>
  <em>
    <span>intrusion</span>
  </em>
  <span> in his family to take her chance to hurt them, that this evidence that she’s willing to keep saving members of it has really taken all the wind out of his sails.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The muffled voices from the front door get closer, the kettle wails in protest of all this hard work and he busies himself with filling up a bucket. This is all weird and new and something he knows he’s going to have to bring up in therapy but for now the least he can do is return the favour. </span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>But he’s keeping an eye on her! Just in case.   </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Randy, uncertain: What do you MEAN she's actually a nice person and isn't just trying to weasel in to Bring Harm?</p></blockquote></div></div>
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